The Child Development Institute, part of the Children, Childhood and Education Collaborative, was established in 1987 to develop programs for early childhood and elementary school teachers, administrators, child development professionals, parents and the community at large.
More than three decades later, the Child Development Institute honors its innovative legacy of thought leadership and progressive education with regular offerings such as:
- Lectures and panels that engage the expertise of psychologists, educators, sociologists, and other professionals
- Collaboratively engaging with organizations that want to partner
- Developmental research studies
- Intensive seminars and accredited workshops for teachers
- Community Adventure Play Experiences (CAPE) for children in our surrounding communities
Past Event
Hope in Action: Critical Reflection, Advocacy for Radical Change, and Equity-Oriented Strategies for Educators in a Polycrisis
Patricia M. Virella, PhDMarch 26, 2025
Schools are facing a "polycrisis" that demands innovative and equitable responses from educators. Dr. Patricia Virella MSEd '09 joined us to discuss actionable strategies for teachers and leaders to navigate these complex issues and foster hope in their classrooms and communities.
Mission
Through its work, the Child Development Institute provides a progressive perspective on child development and education. In this perspective, the child is viewed as an individual in the social context, actively engaged in constructing knowledge through interactions with other people and the physical environment. We believe that the child's educational experience should encompass social, emotional, and imaginative aspects of life in concert with intellectual development. Further, we are concerned that schools and other institutions be developed as communities that attend to the interests and needs of children from diverse backgrounds.